“You ought to hear her sing. Not that jazzy stuff she sings in the nightclub, but some of the old songs, Annie Laurie, Comin’ through the Rye. I got her to sing them for me when she was visiting here.”
“When was that?”
“Last month. She came up the hill around the first of September, brought her husband with her.” His black eyes fastened on my face. “Do you know her husband, too? I don’t recall his name.”
“What does he look like?”
“I didn’t like the looks of him, to tell the truth. He’s a redheaded lad–”
“Bozey?”
“That’s the name. You know him, eh?”
“Not very well.”
“What sort of a boy is he?” His face had darkened, sinking on its bones. “I’ll tell you why I ask. He didn’t act the way a young husband should act on his honeymoon.”
“It was their honeymoon?”
“So they said. I had my doubts about it. It’s a nasty thought, but I even doubted they were properly married. He didn’t treat her with proper respect. Are they getting along?”
“I wouldn’t know. I do know he’s a rough customer. See the marks on my face?”
“I’d have to be blind not to see them. I didn’t like to mention them.”
“Bozey gave them to me.”
“He did? With his iron knucks?”
“Don’t tell me he worked you over.”
“He never got a chance to,” MacGowan said grimly. “I kicked him out bag and baggage before he could try anything on me. But it was touch-and-go there for a minute.”
“What happened?”
“I was doing my washing that day, the day he left. They were some place outside and I opened up their suitcase to see if they had anything needed washing. Shook out one of his dirty shirts, and it had a gun wrapped in it, an automatic pistol, and a pair of iron knucks. That didn’t look too good to me. I rummaged around some more and found the money in the bottom of the suitcase.”
“Money?”
“Yep. A lot of money, wrapped in old newspapers. Big bills, too. There must of been thousands of dollars. It didn’t make sense to me – an able-bodied bum like him who couldn’t even afford a hotel honeymoon. So when they came back, I asked him about the money. And the knucks. And the gun.”
“That was a brave thing to do.”
“Don’t worry, I took precautions. I loaded my deer-rifle and held it across my knees while I was talking to him. He looked like he wanted to kill me, but the rifle held him off.”
“What did he say?”
“He didn’t say very much of anything. Just called me a few bad names and walked into the bedroom and got his suitcase and put it in his car and drove away. Jo didn’t want him to go, but he paid no attention to what she said. He dropped her like a hotcake. I guess you can hardly blame her for taking up with Kerrigan after that.” A puzzled frown wrinkled his forehead. “But now you tell me she’s back with Bozey again?”
“More or less.”
“Is he a robber or something like that?”
“Something like that. Did he ever talk to you about his background?”
“Not very much. He was only here a couple of days. Let me think. He mentioned New Mexico once or twice, did a little bragging about his connections in Albuquerque.”
“What kind of connections?”
“Business connections. I think he said something about the liquor business. But I knew he was a fourflusher, and I didn’t pay much attention.”
“You must have asked Jo about him after he left.”
“Yeah, but she didn’t know much. She said she only met him the week before, in Los Angeles. I tried to talk her out of going back to him.” He stirred uneasily. “I guess I better go and see her again.”
“You might have a long way to go.” He looked at me questioningly.
“Mr. MacGowan, how is your health? Is your heart in good shape?”
He was flattered by my interest, and thumped himself on the chest. “Nothing the matter there. Why?”
“Your granddaughter’s in trouble.”
“Jo in trouble? Is it serious?”
“Yes. She’s wanted for car theft and on suspicion of murder. Kerrigan was shot last night. I saw her running away from the place where it happened.”
He was silent for a long time. The minutes droned like dying flies in the corners of the room. His body seemed to shrink in the chair.
“You’ve been making a fool of me,” he said at last “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” His bearded mouth was twisted. “I knew Jo was headed for trouble. I did what I could to stop her. I went down to Las Cruces and tried to shake her loose from Kerrigan, from Kerrigan and that town of his. When you’ve seen as much of the world as I have–” His hand swept sideways in a brusque blind movement that sent his teacup crashing to the floor.
I got down on my knees and started to pick up the pieces. I felt that it was the least I could do, and the most.
Leaning above me, he said thinly: “Did she murder him?”
“I don’t know.”
“You said she stole a car. Why did she have to do that? I would have given her money, all I’ve got.”
“It was transportation she needed, and she needed it then. Maybe she intended to come up here to you.”
I looked up at him. He wagged his head slowly from side to side. “She didn’t come to me.”
I finished gathering the thin white pieces in the unbroken saucer, and set it on the table. He picked up one translucent shard and held it to the light.
“That was the last of the set. We bought it the year we were married, in the Hudson’s Bay Company store in Winnipeg. Augh.” He dropped it back into the saucer. “No use crying over spilt milk. Thanks for your trouble, boy.”
There was another silence.
“What happened to her husband, if that’s what he is?”
“Bozey’s wanted, too, and on the run. He highjacked a truckload of whisky. The driver was killed.”
“Another one killed?”
“That’s right. Do you have any idea where Bozey could have run to? Or Jo?”
“I should say not.” He levered himself out of the chair and stood looking down at me. “What about this woman that’s missing, the one that lost her heel? Where does she come into all this?”
“That’s the question I have to answer. One of them.” I got up and moved to the door. “I’m driving back to Las Cruces now. Can I give you a lift?”
“Thank you kindly, I’ll drive myself. I need a chance to think. I need a little time to take this in.”
“If Jo turns up here, will you let me know? You can reach me through Mrs. Kerrigan.”
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “Maybe I will and maybe I won’t. Augh, she won’t come here anyway, not to me.”
He opened the door for me. The fierce sun clawed at his face.
Chapter 18
I drove back through the green silence along the lake-shore road. Passing the Kerrigan cabin, I saw the red convertible parked in the entrance to the lane. Mrs. Kerrigan waved at me frantically through the windshield. I left my car at the roadside and went to hers.
She was beautifully dressed and groomed, in black silk and a black hat and black gloves. Except for her eyes and mouth, her face was colorless.
“I didn’t expect to see you,” I said.
“Sally Devore told me where you were. I knew you had to come back this way. I’ve been waiting.”
“For these?”
I brought her keyring out of my pocket and handed it in through the window. It jangled nervously in her gloved hand.
“It isn’t why I came,” she said. “Now that I’m here, through, I’d like to see the cabin. Will you come up with me?”
“I wouldn’t go in if I were you.”